à la Mode St.

A Milliner of Many Hats

May 4th, 2013

alamodest

I had a very long relationship with berets, but I’ve stopped wearing them since moving on from the girly 60s Parisienne obsession. I still very much like the structured uniform look, so I picked two hats from Many Hats Millinery that embodied that. I found a nice military-looking green tiny beret hat that was actually a fascinator, which I am wearing in the first two photos. A lot of times we think of crazy feathers, fishnets, and elaborate designs on these “mini hats” called fascinators. I found a nice selection of tamer designs on Many Hats that I think a lot of you will like.

The second hat was actually from a mixup, becauase I really wanted the last hat in the below collage! It would’ve fit in with the structured look I was hoping for while still being feminine, but I did easily fall in love with the hat that was sent to me instead. I think both of these would fit just fine with a lot of casual outfits, without going overboard or too retro (which I really don’t have a problem with)!

manyhats

Do you own a fascinator or would like to own more of one? Many Hats Millinery would like to give away any of their handmade hats valued up to $50 from their Etsy store! This giveaway is based on random drawing. Remember, the more entries you have, the more chances of winning. Good luck! Open to all (US and international) and will end on Sunday, May 19th at 12 am EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Kigurumi: To wear or not to wear a stuffed toy…

May 2nd, 2013

kigurumi

We all know Japanese trends can be a bit too much for the rest of the world to comprehend let alone like, but that is exactly why a lot of us are drawn to them! There are these things called Kigurumi, Kigu for short, which is a Japanese word which roughly means “to wear a stuffed toy.” They are basically character onesies, usually an animal, for adults.

I’ve seen plenty of these worn as Halloween costumes for kids and even for animals. I’ve also seen Hello Kitty Beanie Babies at Hallmark wearing a bunny onesie, which is frankly rather bizarre and even MORBID. So, Kigus shouldn’t be that weird to the Western world, right?

hellokittyanimals

Not until you see people wearing them on the streets on a regular day! That’s right, these are “streetworn.”

Take a look at some photos:

Source: Unknown

Source: Christine J Wilson

Source: We are Cartoon

Source: Cambosh

Below you’ll find a few products from English kigu retailer Kigurumi Onesies. A lot of these retailers I’ve noticed are actually from the UK. I don’t hear much about kigus around Northern America. If you are from the UK, have you heard of these costumes turned streetwear called kigus? Would you wear them?

kigu

Top to bottom, left to right: Blue Hippo – Frog – Blue Unicorn

Take Jane Shilton on Vacation

May 1st, 2013

The above purses are variations of Jane Shilton’s Extended Gusset Tassle Bag. This is probably the most daring of all what Jane Shilton has made, which is not saying much in general (but it is if you see her entire collection). As I was looking through what I wanted to review from her’s, of course this bag stood out. First of all, it had TASSELS. I don’t really look for tassels on anything, but none of her other bags have them. A lot of them have buckles for sure, and they look very professional.

This bag was like made for the Polo-wearing prep going on vacation. I at first thought about that imagery, because I had misread the name of the bag to say “Extended GUEST Tassel Bag.” It also has two of the primary colors. I was thinking about whether the position and size of those tassels were awkward, but now I do think they should be exactly how they are. The tassels make this bag have a certain personality, and I do like them. What do you think?

Tory Burch’s Reva Clutches

April 30th, 2013

toryburchreva

One of the few brands whose logo I think looks nifty cool is Tory Burch. There’s something oriental and ancient about the way their logo looks, so that it not only voices out the brand name but also evokes a certain feeling—whether intentional or not. Tory Burch is certainly not Asian or has certain Asian roots, nor do I think she has an affinity for Asian culture. Either way, I think Tory Burch’s Reva Clutches look fabulous! They come in silver, black (my favorite), and gold. You can buy genuine Tory Burch clutches on Moda in Pelle’s website who’s currently taking part in a competition to win a wedding and are donating a pair of designer shoes to the lucky winner!

fashionlogos

Sadly, part of what diminishes the aura of a logo is counterfeits. Counterfeits don’t affect the actual value of the brand name, but they leave me having a certain distaste in my mouth at least, like when I see someone carrying a bag plastered with logos of that brand. It’s in fact safer to buy non-high end brands in terms of knowing its authenticity, because non-popular names don’t get counterfeited. Sadly, Tory Burch has gotten big enough to be counterfeited. I don’t ever see Proenza Schouler or Vera Bradley replicas, but I do see Tory Burch’s. Why?

How’s About A Hay Ride Saturday Night?

April 25th, 2013

T-Shirt: Love Life Swagger

Bag: Vintage (ebay)

Just let me roam around laughing at Big City Blues,

With An Old Straw Hat

a suit of overalls and a worn out pair of shoes.

- Shirley Temple

Travel back to Rococo in Vivienne Westwood’s “Time Machine”

April 23rd, 2013

viviennewestwoodrococo Vivienne-Westwood-Portrait-timemachine

“Time Machine” is Vivienne Westwood’s elegant collection of watches, and the fiery haired woman has caught my attention once again with her Rococo watches. The black, royal blue, and dirty white pictured above are my favorites, each of which accented by ruby red. One of these watches would’ve been perfect to wear with my Rococo outfit in one of my older posts! I like that the strap resembles a ribbon and the timepiece is framed in gold, which reminds me of cameo chokers typical of that time period (also Victorian). I just love combining elements from that age with today’s modern styles, don’t you?

Some of Westwood’s watches can be found here.

Shabby Apple Gift Card Giveaway (CLOSED)

April 22nd, 2013

shabbyapplegiveaway

Shabby Apple is a nice place to get vintage-style, elegant, modest cut dresses that fit and flatter any body type. Although the clothes are mostly colorful and sweet, they can be worn by any age group. One classy woman will receive a $50 gift card from them as a result of landing on this page (and entering, of course)!

This giveaway is based on random drawing. Remember, the more entries you have, the more chances of winning. Good luck! Open to all (US and international) and will end on Sunday, May 5 at 12 am EST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Winner is… JOANNE HALE!